7 research outputs found
MORPH: A Reference Architecture for Configuration and Behaviour Self-Adaptation
An architectural approach to self-adaptive systems involves runtime change of
system configuration (i.e., the system's components, their bindings and
operational parameters) and behaviour update (i.e., component orchestration).
Thus, dynamic reconfiguration and discrete event control theory are at the
heart of architectural adaptation. Although controlling configuration and
behaviour at runtime has been discussed and applied to architectural
adaptation, architectures for self-adaptive systems often compound these two
aspects reducing the potential for adaptability. In this paper we propose a
reference architecture that allows for coordinated yet transparent and
independent adaptation of system configuration and behaviour
Computation Against a Neighbour
Recent works in contexts like the Internet of Things (IoT) and large-scale
Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) propose the idea of programming distributed
systems by focussing on their global behaviour across space and time. In this
view, a potentially vast and heterogeneous set of devices is considered as an
"aggregate" to be programmed as a whole, while abstracting away the details of
individual behaviour and exchange of messages, which are expressed
declaratively. One such a paradigm, known as aggregate programming, builds on
computational models inspired by field-based coordination. Existing models such
as the field calculus capture interaction with neighbours by a so-called
"neighbouring field" (a map from neighbours to values). This requires ad-hoc
mechanisms to smoothly compose with standard values, thus complicating
programming and introducing clutter in aggregate programs, libraries and
domain-specific languages (DSLs). To address this key issue we introduce the
novel notion of "computation against a neighbour", whereby the evaluation of
certain subexpressions of the aggregate program are affected by recent
corresponding evaluations in neighbours. We capture this notion in the
neighbours calculus (NC), a new field calculus variant which is shown to
smoothly support declarative specification of interaction with neighbours, and
correspondingly facilitate the embedding of field computations as internal DSLs
in common general-purpose programming languages -- as exemplified by a Scala
implementation, called ScaFi. This paper formalises NC, thoroughly compares it
with respect to the classic field calculus, and shows its expressiveness by
means of a case study in edge computing, developed in ScaFi.Comment: 50 pages, 16 figure
Multi-agent based simulation of self-governing knowledge commons
The potential of user-generated sensor data for participatory sensing has motivated the formation of organisations focused on the exploitation of collected information and associated knowledge. Given the power and value of both the raw data and the derived knowledge, we advocate an open approach to data and intellectual-property rights. By treating user-generated content as well as derived information and knowledge as a common-pool resource, we hypothesise that all participants can be compensated fairly for their input.
To test this hypothesis, we undertake an extensive review of experimental, commercial and social participatory-sensing applications, from which we identify that a decentralised, community-oriented governance model is required to support this open approach. We show that the Institutional Analysis and Design framework as introduced by Elinor Ostrom, in conjunction with a framework for self-organising electronic institutions, can be used to give both an architectural and algorithmic base for the necessary governance model, in terms of operational and collective choice rules specified in computational logic.
As a basis for understanding the effect of governance on these applications, we develop a testbed which joins our logical formulation of the knowledge commons with a generic model of the participatory-sensing problem. This requires a multi-agent platform for the simulation of autonomous and dynamic agents, and a method of executing the logical calculus in which our electronic institution is specified. To this end, firstly, we develop a general purpose, high performance platform for multi-agent based simulation, Presage2. Secondly, we propose a method for translating event-calculus axioms into rules compatible with business rule engines, and provide an implementation for JBoss Drools along with a suite of modules for electronic institutions.
Through our simulations we show that, when building electronic institutions for managing participatory sensing as a knowledge commons, proper enfranchisement of agents (as outlined in Ostrom's work) is key to striking a balance between endurance, fairness and reduction of greedy behaviour. We conclude with a set of guidelines for engineering knowledge commons for the next generation of participatory-sensing applications.Open Acces